I Love My Body and Don’t Want to Take It For Granted Anymore

Right off the bat – this isn’t a post about Alkaline the dancehall artist or a deep dive into why people tattoo their eyes to appear demonic. (Google ‘Alkaline eyes’ if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) This is also not meant to be preachy; I am not an expert and merely sharing what I’ve learned in my research and invite you to join in the conversation because I think it’s an important one to have.

If you practice or are knowledgeable about healthy eating, you most likely know what it means to be on an alkaline diet. After experiencing minor health issues, commonly experienced by women, all last year, I became interested in learning more about prevention. What some people don’t know is when you take antibiotics, it kills both bad AND good bacteria in the body. We need good bacteria for a healthy digestive system and we need SOME bad bacteria to help prevent diseases. My goal was/is to learn more about balance.

There’s no other way to do this than to jump right in. In order for our bodies to stay regulated and healthy, our pH levels must be balanced. (pH stands for potential of hydrogen…curious minds want to know.) The levels range from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline). See below for a chart for foods/behaviors that promote an acidic or alkaline body.

People tell us all the time, “You need to eat salads and yogurt and drink lots of water.” Personally, hearing people tell me what to eat doesn’t motivate me to eat better. It does help, however, to imagine what is happening inside the body. As a recovering germaphobe, the idea that we have bad bacteria living in our bodies still freaks me out but not to the point where I could go on a completely acidic-free diet…mainly because I would physically wither away. A while ago, I was advised by my coworker to drink apple cider vinegar daily. After many visits to the doctor for check ups and Duane Reade for prescriptions, I finally decided to incorporate apple cider vinegar into my diet – 1 to 2 tbsp everyday in a glass of water or a smoothie. It supposedly helps your stomach break down acidic foods, and in the same breath it helps promote good bacteria. The goal is to keep track of any changes I notice then report back in about two months (that’s how long it will take me to finish this bottle.)

If something is wrong or off about your body, obviously it’s important to get checked by your doctor. In my situation, after the same issues kept occurring, I had to take a step back and assess what I could do to help. The fact that antibiotics destroy good bacteria in my body makes me uneasy. Why rely on quick fixes when you can work on prevention? In addition, no one should cut out acidic foods cold turkey. At the end of the day, changes to your diet depends on your specific situation, your age, your tolerance to certain foods, etc. If you see me posting pictures of pastries or pizza or chicken roti on Instagram, just remember that I never said I’d give up these foods. I just try to include more alkaline foods in my diet – more onions, olive oil, garlic, spinach, sweet potato, broccoli, avocado, etc.